Chapter 154: Stick to Your Heart
Back in the Martyrs’ Cemetery, more than a thousand fallen warriors lay waiting. Once Lin Huai had transported the remains to the edge of the burial pits, Wu Zhao simply swept her hand through the air. A soft, spiritual breeze lifted the remains and laid them gently into the coffins below.
As the master of this sacred ground, Wu Zhao and her raven soldiers possessed supernatural arts to handle the heavy physical labor in seconds. Even so, there was one vital step they could not perform for themselves—a task that required Lin Huai’s mortal hands.
Spared the exhausting chore of digging and lifting, Lin Huai walked along the rows from the very first plot. She offered fresh incense, bowed deeply, and whispered memorial prayers at each headstone. When every grave was prepared, she arranged a grand, collective ritual of transcendence.
The quiet cemetery grew even stiller. Wu Zhao stood silently behind Lin Huai in simple white robes, her dark hair falling loose over her shoulders, watching with quiet gratitude as the rite began.
This ceremony was far grander than the one Lin Huai had held for Dong Xiaobao. Two rows of soul-guiding banners, each standing more than five meters high, rose into the sky and fluttered briskly in the cold mountain wind.
Upon the ceremonial altar, Lin Huai neatly set out the traditional five grains and the threefold ritual offerings. Holding a lit stick of incense with both hands, she brought it level with her brow. Her voice rang out soft, steady, and clear through the pines:
“Lost souls of the brave, hear this call from afar. Journey east to Penglai’s shores, travel south to the Vermilion Palace, venture west to the Diamond Realm, and walk north to escape all bitter cold. Today, guided by sacred rites, step forward into the Southern Palace. Supported by the great Dao and rewarded for your noble karma, recite the prayers with a pure heart, and find your peaceful rebirth…”
As the final words of the scripture left her lips, a brilliant azure light erupted from the altar. The luminous wave rippled across the terraces, washing over every newly turned mound of earth before gently fading back into twilight stillness.
In the quiet that followed, hundreds of glowing white spheres drifted up from the graves.
Hovering in the air, Dong Xiaobao bounced with joy. She darted straight to the second-floor sunroom of the hearse, retrieved the celadon vase from the altar of Black Impermanence, and guided every single mote of vow energy safely into the porcelain vessel.
Wu Zhao was already an officially appointed Tomb Guardian of the Underworld; having a true spiritual post meant she had no need for a mortal transcendence rite.
As for her own skeleton, Lin Huai left it entirely in Wu Zhao’s care. Among spirits, nothing was more guarded than one’s earthly remains; if an evil cultivator discovered them, they could shatter the soul with dark sorcery.
Though Lin Huai was no dark practitioner, ordinary etiquette between the living and the dead demanded respect. She had returned the bones to Wu Zhao without hesitation, and the general had accepted them with a quiet nod. Both understood the unspoken trust, leaving no need for explanations.
With the soldiers laid to rest, Lin Huai climbed back into the hearse to return to the highway. She had already secured the vault’s treasure and was eager to sort through her spoils in peace.
Just as she reached for the ignition, Wu Zhao called out to her. In all her visits to the cemetery, this was the very first time the guardian had stopped her from leaving.
Wu Zhao stepped forward, her eyes brimming with warmth. She withdrew a small, dark seal and offered it to Lin Huai. “This is the token of my office as the Raven Guardian. Now that my soldiers and I have regained our true memories, I will no longer need this seal to summon them.”
She rested the token in Lin Huai’s hand. “Keeping it here would make it nothing more than a lifeless trinket. Perhaps in your hands, it will prove useful on the road ahead.”
Lin Huai examined the heavy stamp, turning it over to admire the detailed raven carved into its surface. “Does this command flocks of ravens, or does it guide wandering souls?”
Wu Zhao offered only a slight smile. “Its power responds to the heart of the bearer. You may discover its true nature in time.”
She stepped back. “I must see to the resting place of my own remains. I will hold you no longer.”
Before Lin Huai could speak, Wu Zhao’s figure dissolved into a cluster of silvery motes and vanished into the mountain mist. Lin Huai pocketed the seal and turned back to open the driver’s door.
Right as her boot hit the step, Wu Zhao’s voice echoed directly into her mind, sounding as though it came from a distant peak yet whispered right against her ear:
Ah Huai, your heart is pure and true just as it is. No matter what trials await you, hold fast to your original purpose, and you will see the journey to its end.
Lin Huai spun around, scanning the quiet rows of tombstones and towering pines. Wu Zhao was nowhere to be seen.
Her heart beat heavily against her ribs. Wu Zhao was a woman of few words, speaking only when a truth was vital. To use secret mental speech to deliver this single warning meant the words carried profound weight.
Does reaching the end of the road depend on a person’s inner character?
Lin Huai was not entirely sure, but she understood the warning. She had always kept her own code of honor, and no matter how cruel the survival road became, she swore never to lose her way.
Back on the open highway, she opened her spatial jade bracelet and began inspecting the sealed chests one by one.
She gathered a staggering fortune of pure Yang energy crystals, followed by stacks of basic resources and rare components. Alongside the catalysts she had been hunting for her Level 7 upgrade, there were several strange, uncataloged materials she had never encountered before. She neatly stored the mystery items away for future study.
Opening her vehicle menu, she pulled up the checklist for the Level 7 coffin upgrade. Every basic metal, crystal count, and structural catalyst was completely satisfied—except for one final ingredient: the Karma Fire White Lotus.
Lin Huai stared at the screen with a furrowed brow. The blueprint demanded only a single lotus, which was clear proof of how extraordinary it was.
None of the major trials had ever dropped a White Lotus, nor had she ever seen a hint of it on the public market. She suspected it could only be harvested from a hidden, dangerous location.
What puzzled her most was that ancient folklore only spoke of the Karma Fire Red Lotus. That crimson flower was said to bloom in the Netherworld Blood Sea, fed by the primal waters of rebirth to burn away the sins of wicked souls.
What on earth was a White Lotus?
Having hit a dead end, Lin Huai decided to use her wealth to get outside help.
“Old Hei! Old Hei! Your top-ranked survivor needs you right now! Dearest Old Hei, come on out~”
A minute passed before Old Hei’s lazy, irritated voice crackled through the console.
[What do you want now? Can’t you leave me alone for five minutes?]
Lin Huai opened her palm, revealing a shimmering pile of top-grade Yin energy crystals with a sweet smile. “Hehe, just a small favor.”
The crystals vanished instantly into the air. Old Hei let out a suspicious snort.
[A small favor? Worth bribing me with this many high-grade stones? I don’t buy it for a second!]
Lin Huai chuckled. “Big or small, you’ve already taken the payment, which means you’ve agreed to hear me out, right?”
[Stop playing games. Spill it. Whether I help or not depends on what ridiculous mess you’re getting into, and the final decision is entirely up to me.]
“Here’s the problem: pushing my vehicle to Level 7 requires a rare material called the Karma Fire White Lotus. I have no idea where to find one, so I wanted to check if you have any back channels to help me procure it?”
